Ban's Longest Night
by AppleZeri
Summary: Ban's experience during that night Ginji ended up in the hospital after falling off of a building while chasing a rice ball. He realizes just how precious his partner is to him...not that he'd ever admit it. Mild unrequited Ban and Ginji shounen ai.


Disclaimer: I do not own Getbackers or anything that has to do with Getbackers (other than this story, obviously.) If I did, I would 1. Publish this in a book rather than on a fan fiction website, and 2. Not be such a disappointment to my mother by writing fan fiction all day instead of going out and getting a real job. (huff puff huff puff)

Warnings: Light shounen ai...maybe a few MILD swear words that I'm sure you can find in Disney movies these days...

Author's notes: WELL THEN! I had been wanting to see a story like this for a long time...pretty much since I saw this episode for the first time. But I didn't see any like that written already so I figured I would write it myself. Then I got lazy and abandoned it and a year passed and now I finally got around to finishing it. So now I'm hoping someone else HASN'T written one like this during the time I was being lazy. Oh, a cruel and ironic fate that would be.

...Anyway, I'm pretty sure that other Ban x Ginji fans are thinking the same thing I am with this episode. We know Ban panicked when Ginji fell off the roof ;D. And I figured that Ban's argument with Shido is just his way of releasing the stress that had built up in him over that night, and was a good way to take his mind off of it. (Cackles)

* * *

"Moron, moron, moron, moron, _moron_!" Ban mentally chanted as he quickly flew down the stairwell, almost stumbling over his own feet in his haste. How was Ginji capable of getting himself into so much trouble in just the blink of an eye, anyway? One second he was complaining about his empty stomach and the next he was lying on the ground ten stories below like a limp and twisted ragdoll. Ban was so overcome with shock at the realization of where his partner had gone that he had almost jumped over the side of the building as well just to tend to him faster. Luckily he had come to his senses before he did something so stupid and made a mad dash for the rooftop entrance instead.

Once he reached the sidewalk it was only a matter of seconds before he came upon the still body around the corner. It was dark and secluded here and he was horrified that nobody was there helping him already.

"Ginji!" He called out as if it would do any good and he skidded to a halt to kneel down beside him. He didn't even know whether he was still conscious or not as he instinctively began to check his breathing and pulse. At least there wasn't nearly the amount of blood loss he had anticipated.

The cold feeling of an adrenaline rush spread through his arms and hands as he established that at the very least his vitals were still stable. He didn't take his eyes off of him as he stood up and called out for help. Although he could hear the bustle of a normal busy night just yards away, nobody was in the immediate vicinity at the moment and nobody took noticed of his frantic pleas.

"_Damnit!_" He cried out in his frustration. Somebody-anybody!-they just needed help now! Especially since the usually so calm and collected Ban had lost all of his common sense due to the shock and fear and helplessness that took over his senses at the moment.

"B…baa…?" a quiet and weakly childlike voice came from Ginji as he began to stir. He attempted to look up at him through the thin slits in his eyelids, but even the dim lights coming from the surrounding buildings were enough to sear through his forehead. His eyes looked dull and lifeless but still gleamed from the tears of pain that welled up.

"Shut up Ginji!" Ban hissed roughly but not harshly. "Don't move at all. Don't even try to talk." He flatly ordered, and he took off his shirt to press against the wound on Ginji's head. Ginji obeyed and stayed still although he couldn't help but groan as Ban applied pressure to the bleeding.

"I'm calling for an ambulance now, okay?" Ban spoke calmly in an attempt to keep Ginji relaxed and alert, although his own hands shook as he reached for his phone. "You'll be fine. Just hang in there. Try to stay awake!" He commanded as he was connected to a dispatcher and quickly got an ambulance sent their way within a matter of seconds. Even in the short time it took to make the call he noticed that Ginji was having an increasingly difficult time keeping his eyes open.

"Ginji, try to stay awake!" Ban tried to stay as cool and calm as possible while struggling to keep Ginji's attention. "What if you have a concussion? You can't let yourself lose consciousness!" His couldn't help but raise his voice in his frustration. What was he supposed to do? Just speaking to him wasn't enough to keep him awake but he couldn't move him, especially with a head injury.

"Ah, Ban…I'm sleepy." Ginji wheezed out and his eyes fluttered shut against his will.

"_No_, Ginji! Don't go to sleep!" He continued to shout and grabbed onto his shoulders, but he managed to hold himself back from shaking him. Why wasn't the ambulance here yet? He felt a pain in his own chest as he looked down upon Ginji lying helplessly on the sidewalk, and he couldn't even take him into his arms to make him more comfortable.

"_Please…please don't let something as simple and stupid as this take him from me…"_ He silently prayed as he continued to keep a close watch on his vitals.

The paramedics arrived not three minutes later. Ban did his best to explain the situation to them even though his mind wasn't working clearly at the moment and he stumbled on some of his words. He glared as one of them pushed past him with a first aid kit. …God he hated feeling helpless and in the way.

"It's alright." The woman checking Ginji's condition assured him. "He's just passed out. We'll run tests at the hospital of course, but it doesn't seem any more serious than that." She spoke as they prepared to transfer him to a stretcher.

A group of people had gathered around the commotion to observe what was going on. Where had they all been when they had needed help before? Ban wished he could just tell them all to go blow themselves.

"Are you going to ride with him?" The same woman asked after Ginji was secured in the back of the vehicle.

"Ahh…" He only had a split second to debate it. He knew he should ride with Ginji, but… "No, I'll follow right behind you in my car, okay?" he informed her and he immediately turned to run and find miss ladybug. He was sure Ginji would understand, and they didn't need a parking ticket on top of everything else anyway.

Ban's hand trembled as he tried to get his key into the ignition and he cursed loudly as it fell from his hand and bounced onto the floor. He knew he needed to get a hold of himself before he would be any good to drive. He took a deep breath and steadied himself before fishing for the key. Despite the delay he still managed to trail right behind the ambulance all the way to the hospital until they reached the parking lot, where he went off to find a spot in the visitors section while Ginji was being unloaded and taken into the emergency room.

He found a spot suitably close to the entrance and turned off the car but didn't make a move to get out. He sat for a moment and gripped the steering wheel almost tightly enough to break it. He released a few shaky breaths as he tried to ground himself before taking the next step. He wouldn't be able to see Ginji for awhile anyway, so there was no need to rush himself at this point. In fact it was better for him to take a few moments before going in. Otherwise he might smack someone once he gets inside and is surrounded by other people in his situation who think that _their_ injured loved one is more important than Ginji.

Now that he had time to think about it, they had been on a recovery mission, hadn't they? He figured he should call Hevn to tell her there would be a delay. Anything that would help him to recollect himself, he reasoned as he reached for his cell phone.

**-:-**

Ban was irritable. He sat in the waiting room at three in the morning, watching the hands on the clock move forward one second at a time. Stupid Ginji, making him worry over almost nothing. All of that trouble and not a single life-threatening injury came of it! And not only that, but since they weren't blood related Ban wouldn't be able to go in and see him until visiting hours! What kind of a ridiculous rule was _that_?!

Ban cracked his knuckles one by one as he contemplated.

…It would be easy enough to sneak into Ginji's room if it wasn't for that uptight nurse manning the nurse's station nearby. What was the deal, anyway? Ban was the closest thing to family Ginji had. What if he woke up in the middle of the night all alone? Didn't they consider the possibility that he might actually _want_ Ban in there with him?

His eyes shifted back and forth as he tried to determine a way to sneak in unnoticed. Visitors weren't allowed in for another ten hours. He had already been sitting here since midnight, doing nothing and wasting time.

"Oi!" He called out to the nurse. She shushed him even though the only other person there besides the two of them was an old hobo who was dead asleep in the row of chairs on the opposite side of the room.

"If he's going to be in the same condition in the morning, why do I have to wait until then to see him? Huh?!" He didn't bother lowering the volume of his voice.

"It's hospital rules, sir."

"That doesn't explain anything!" Ban grew even more irate.

"I'm afraid you can't see him until visiting hours begin unless you are his immediate family." She repeated for the umpteenth time and went back to her paperwork and ignoring Ban.

He growled and shifted in his seat to face away from her.

There had to be some way that he, of all people, could get in there. There was no way he'd be defeated by some bitchy nightshift nurse. There was always the Jagan of course, but he knew that would be a waste to use on someone like her. All he needed to do was figure out how to outsmart her, that's all. Perhaps provide a distraction, just long enough for him to sneak past the secured doors unnoticed. Perhaps the temptation of an abandoned box of doughnuts…no, it was the police who loved doughnuts, wasn't it? Well, there's no reason why nurses wouldn't love doughnuts too, right? He discreetly peered back at her for a moment. No…she seems like the type who would be watching her figure. But in order to work such a demanding shift at this unholy time of night, one would need to drink massive amounts of coffee or some other likewise beverage, wouldn't they? Perhaps…an errant laxative that just happened to land in her drink? Or he could just wait for nature to take its course, although he figured she'd call for backup while she was away from her desk, which flushed that idea down the drain, appropriately.

He shifted again and made his discomfort obvious. He had even hoped that he had been plotting for so long that the ten hours had just passed by without him realizing it, but alas, only three minutes had elapsed.

He needed to begin thinking outside of the box; or outside of the building, rather. If he could just pinpoint which room was Ginji's it's not like it would be that hard to scale the building, break in, and voila, be by Ginji's side in a matter of minutes. ...Assuming that he didn't fall and end up in the same situation as Ginji, that is.

He sighed and massaged his temples. At this rate it would be easier, faster, and more legal if he just waited until visiting hours. But he refused to admit defeat. He wasn't doing this just to be troublesome. He was doing this for Ginji, who was probably awake and scared by the unfamiliar surroundings and wondering why Ban had forsaken him by not being in there by his side in his time of need.

He eventually realized that he was still wearing the shirt that he had used to stop Ginji's bleeding. He should go wash it out before the stains set in…and a little change of scenery would be good for him. Anything was better than being stuck in a room with that damned nurse any longer.

He meandered through the corridors and went into the first restroom he came across. The fluorescent lights flickered and hummed as he pumped the thick and pseudo-floral scented pink soap onto the dried blood and rubbed the fabric against itself to help remove the stain. It was easy enough to get out, which helped him to feel that he had at least accomplished _something_. He held it under the hand dryer mounted on the wall until it was good as new and it slipped it back on. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and for the first time saw how drawn he looked. He hoped it was just the bad lighting, and went back to the sinks to splash some cold water onto his face. What he really needed was sleep, but how could he let himself rest now? But Ginji was going to be alright now, so there was no need to be distraught anymore.

He released a sigh and decided to just go back to the waiting area to see how else he could waste the precious hours of his life.

He approached the entrance to the area and peered around casually. Nope, nothing had changed in the 10 minutes he had been gone.

But he did notice something that had escaped him before. A very tall stack of files that were perched precariously on the ledge of the station…and a mop and bucket that had carelessly been abandoned a few feet away, against the wall just by the nurse's station.

He looked at the mop.

He looked at the ridiculously tall stack of files.

He looked back at the mop.

The wheels in his head began to turn.

He looked back at the stack of files.

"_So simple, and yet so…so beautifully brilliant_." Little tears of joy welled up to the brim of his eyes.

He backed up into the hallway to lean against said wall and peeked around the corner. There she was! With her back turned and everything. He loved it when things just fell into his lap like this. But he would have to consider this carefully. Just because everything seemed to have set itself up for him doesn't mean that he should jump right into it. He needed a clear plan as to how to execute this. He couldn't risk her turning around so quickly that she caught him holding the mop. It needed to appear to be an accident.

His eyes shifted back and forth as he contemplated.

He looked back at the nurse who was still turned away from him.

He gazed over at the hobo who was still snoring on the far side of the room.

He briefly wondered if the fumes from all the sanitizers that were used around here had gotten to him.

He looked around for any security cameras.

He smirked as he concluded that the coast was clear and he crouched down so that not even the tips of his spikes could be detected from the other side of the desk.

He grabbed the mop and silently waddled over towards the general area where the files were sitting, doing all he could to keep from humming the mission impossible theme. He no doubt would have looked like an escapee from the mental health ward to any passersby, but luckily for Ban, there were no passersby.

He slowly lifted the handle of the mop up just enough so he could encourage the tall stack to give in to gravity in the right direction. He couldn't help but grin as he ever so lightly pushed the handle forward.

The wonderful sound of dozens of folders and papers falling over and scattering all over the floor warmed Ban's heart. He quickly but carefully set down the mop as he heard the nurse gasp and her chair squeak as she turned to see what had happened. She wasn't shy about letting a few curses slip out as she got up to begin the tedious task of picking up and reorganizing them. Ban clucked his tongue -such harsh language, he thought. How uncouth.

He mentally cackled like a madman as he crawled around the side of the desk towards the corridor that held Ginji's room. He stayed low until he was certain that he couldn't possibly be detected by anyone, then he stood up and brushed himself off with smug satisfaction.

But then he found Ginji's door and suddenly remembered why, exactly, he had even bothered with such troublesome things.

He peeked through the thin window into the room. It was dark, but he saw that Ginji lied sound asleep in the bed despite all his worrying that he had been awake.

He slid the door open and entered the room as silently as he could and went to stand at the edge of the bed for a moment before taking the seat next to it. His imagination had been one thing, and as wild as it was sometimes, it didn't even compare to the feeling he got when he saw Ginji's bruised and bandaged body in person. His eyes squinted as if his face couldn't decide whether it wanted to smile or cry in relief. He bent over Ginji's sleeping form and hovered above his face for a moment. On second thought he moved away and touched his fingers to his lips, and pressed the secondhand kiss to Ginji's uninjured cheek.

"You're such an idiot sometimes, you know that?" He whispered too quietly for his voice to awaken him. "…You frightened me. Don't do it again, okay?" _What would I do without you?_

He gently held Ginji's hand in his and rested his head on the bed beside him. It was as if his body had only just realized how tired it was. Perhaps seeing Ginji in person reassured him enough that he was finally able to relax. Whatever the reason, the next time he opened his eyes the faint golden light of dawn was coming in through the window. He jerked his head up quickly and looked around.

It was still just the two of them. Great, he thought as he held his hand over his palpitating heart. But now that it was morning it was likely that a nurse would come in at any time to check on him. He'd better be on his way so as not to be discovered.

He patted Ginji's hand before standing up. "I won't go far. I'll be back in just a few hours." He promised, more as a comfort to himself considering that Ginji was still in a deep sleep.

Luckily for him it was much easier sneaking back into the waiting area than his previous adventure had been and he followed the hobo's example and set himself up for a few more winks before visiting hours began.

**-:-**

"Sorry for worrying you, Ban chan." Ginji whined as soon as Ban strode in casually once legal visiting hours began.

"Psh. Nah, I wasn't worried. Pissed off is more like it. You're so much trouble!" He reprimanded him as he went to take the seat next to his bed once again. He was glad to see Ginji acting more like his old self already. He suppressed a little smile as he settled in to keep him company…

* * *

And that's where the episode begins! …Lame ending. It looks good in my imagination. It looks unfinished and lazy in written words. Boo.


End file.
